


beasts of a different making

by WelcomeToTheBadlands



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Badass Rey, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Crush at First Sight, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Injury, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Magic, Medium Burn, Older Woman/Younger Man, Vampires, Virgin Ben Solo, Werewolves, some sugar daddy rey elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-01-26 18:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21378262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WelcomeToTheBadlands/pseuds/WelcomeToTheBadlands
Summary: In a world where werewolves are looked down upon and considered lower class, vampires are usually higher class individuals with too much wealth to know what to do with. A tense relationship between the two supernatural races comes to a head after the bodies of three vampires are found near a werewolf camp are found, mauled to death. In an attempt to distract everyone from the bleak events that have been going on recently, the Ministry of Supernatural Affairs throws a ball where all species are welcome.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 20
Kudos: 48





	1. be careful of the curse that befalls young lovers

Rey was someone that only went to parties to look dramatic. Really, it was the only thing that she liked about it. Knowing that she was the best dressed or most enigmatic person there. That was the only reason that she was going to this thing. “I can’t believe they expect us to be in the same room with werewolves.” Rose wrinkled her nose as she adjusted her dress. 

“The same house,” Rey said, “a manor really, and it’s bigger than mine so I doubt there will really be a problem at all.” 

“That’s not the point, and you know it. Someone’s probably going to pee on the carpet.” 

“Rose, they’re wolves not chihuahuas.” Rey wasn’t the biggest fan of werewolves, especially after she found out that one of them had murdered three of her own kind, but she tried not to generalize people the way that most vampires would. It was twenty nineteen, not the dark ages. Time to be a little bit more progressive. 

“Okay, but you know that ginger tool that always shows up when he’s unwanted?” 

“Yeah,” 

“He totally is though,” Rey rolled her eyes, knowing that Rose was probably right. “Besides, when did you become a Werewolf Rights Activist?” 

Rey scoffed at that. “I am not one, I’m just saying that even if I don’t like werewolves, we should give them a little respect. Never know if one’s waiting around the corner – they're less likely to kill you if you aren’t rude to them.” 

“I guess you’re right, I wouldn’t want to get in a fight with one of those assholes.” 

“Oh, please. We all know if you and Hux walked into a bar, you would be the one that would come out alive. Not him.” 

“Well yeah, Hux is a coward. Still, those poor girls – I can’t imagine the pain they went through.” Rey never liked to discuss the details of murder, especially one like this. It wasn’t a good party topic. Luckily, she was spared having to talk more about werewolves eating people alive because Poe Dameron knocked on the door. 

“Are you gals ready?” 

“Gals, really?” Rose called back. “You can do better, Dameron.” 

“Dames, mistresses?” Rey rolled her eyes. She opened the door and watched Poe give her the once over. “You know, Rey. It’s really cruel to always be the best dressed person in the room.” Rey’s dress was made to look like there were red flowers cascading down the top and the bodice, it was elegant but still imposing. “You look great too, Tico.” 

“Gee, thanks Dameron.” 

_ 

The only reason that Ben ever went to parties thrown by the Ministry was because of the dramatic nature of them. It was really the only time that he got to dress up – or go out at all. “You know, Ren. It’s almost like you’re not the same person.” Hux glanced Ben up and down. “You actually look like you have a bit of confidence. The women won’t be able to bare it.” 

The only thing that Ben had confidence in was his ability to brood while the Ministry tried to smooth things out between the vampires and werewolves for the fourth time in a row this year. He really didn’t see the usefulness in a party in the slightest. At least there will be food. There was a time when Ben didn’t have to go to parties to get food that he wanted. 

Back when the last mighty house of werewolves were still rich and he had a title. “Honestly, I hope that I get my hands on some stuck-up vampire bitch carrying too much money on her.” 

“You really aren’t helping the stereotype,” Ben said, “plus if the Ministry hears you say that they’re going to arrest you for suspicion of murder.” It wasn’t likely that Hux would be able to murder anyone anyway, he always backed down at the first sign of confrontation, which made him a pretty easy target. 

“Yeah, whatever. Fuck the Ministry,” 

“Sure, whatever. Let’s just get this thing over with.” He tied the mask over his head. 

_ 

Whilst the mortal world was modern and into sleek new things, the magic world still enjoyed the older parts of life. Victorian and French Gothic architecture frequented most things. The grand manor reminded Rey of something you would see out of Phantom of the Opera, with grandiose angelic statues outside of the residence and ornate ceiling paintings and chandeliers on the inside. Fae, vampires, werewolves, witches and wizards all came out to be part of this event. Rey rolled her eyes as she watched a particularly drunk fae throw up glitter in the middle of someone’s nearly dead rose bushes. The bush shuddered and then bloomed with new life. 

“I spiritually relate to that gargoyle up there.” Poe pointed to a particularly disgusting looking statue staring down on them. 

“I really am just here for the champagne,” Rose sighed, “ugh why is every man here dressed like he’s going to a funeral?” 

“Hey!” 

“We love you Poe, but honestly you know the importance of creativity. All these guys in just black tuxedoes... It’s a travesty.” 

“Someone’s care for fashion doesn’t make them a more interesting person, Rey. Not everyone can own a multimillion-dollar fashion magazine.” 

“Yes, Poe but people can at least try.” 

“This is going to be a long night, isn’t it?” It was. Rey could already tell that it was going to be an insufferable night full of boring men coming up to her and asking to dance and her refusing them because of how badly dressed they were. It was a travesty, really. She liked dancing with people, but there was no one she could find that really capitvated her interest in the way that she was looking for. Poe, Rose, and Rey entered the grand hall of the manor and Rey wanted to laugh at the attempt to make it look a little more mordern. It looked good, still, but like Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet had influenced it a lot. The lights were more neon and the music that was playing was less of the usually classical and more of a mix between that and pop. 

Rey guessed that Ministry was trying to reference some human trends as well. At least most people seemed to be enjoying it. Rose and Poe had immediately gone for the wine and champagne as Rey watched people mingle and drink and wondered what it would be like if she interjected herself in one of those conversations. 

She really didn’t like talking to other people at all, so she decided that tonight, she wouldn’t. She walked around the hall and watched other men try to catch her eye. “Don’t bother with Rey,” Some would whisper. “She’s unattainable. Been single for over two hundred years and it’s going to stay like that.” 

That wasn’t necessarily true. Rey never considered herself elitist or unattainable. She just had a higher standard than most of the men that wanted to go after her. What was that standard? They actually tried to get to know her before they slept with her. 

It seemed like there would be no such guy at this party. Rey blocked out some of the speeches there were made in an attempt to save herself from getting bored to death. Surviving Hamlet and Shakespeare, only to get killed by the boredom of everything else that was going on today. That was until she saw him. 

Rey saw him before he saw her. He was the only man dressed in a suit that wasn’t boring. Black embroidered with silver, and an ornate mask like a skull. His dark hair looked so shiny and soft, either he had extremely good genes or he took good care of himself. Either way, Rey was going to get a dance with him. 

_ 

Everyone knew who Rey was. She was considering one of the most notorious vampires in the supernatural community. There were so many stories about her. Ben was sure that not all of them were true, but still. There were some stories that had some truth to them. That was the thing that worried him. Rey was dressed in a gown adorned with blood red flowers. 

_ “I heard that she was friends with Elizabeth Bathory, that she was actually the one that turned her.” _

_ “I heard that she’s killed thousands of werewolves,” _

_ “I heard that she eats men's _ _ hearts and _ _ doesn’t just suck their blood.” _

Rey was self made, unlike a lot of vampires who had houses that ran back generations and generations. She was turned almost immediately after she faked her death under a name that most alleged to be Ophelia, there after all her family had died and she had no one, she made a name for herself. Now she was a multimillionaire and a CEO of a fashion magazine and a tech start up. Most werewolves that had common sense wouldn’t so much as look at her. It seemed that Ben was lacking all of the common sense that he usually had that day. He couldn’t help but stare at her as he walked down the stairs into the grand hall. 

She caught his eye. 

“Be careful, Ren.” Hux said. “I want you to have fun, not get murdered.” 

“Thanks for your concern.” Ben’s hands shake a little as he descends the stairway. Rey was staring straight at him, and he had no idea what to do about it. She obviously wouldn’t approach him, now would she? That would be social suicide – and oh god she was already walking towards him. This seemed to put all eyes on him, which was definitely something that he didn’t want, but it was happening all the same. She entered the den of wolves, and men that were usually imposing or threatening parted their ways as she made her way to Ben. 

“Pardon me if I was interrupting a conversation,” Her voice is like silk and Ben already found himself freaking out. “But I would very much like to have a dance with you if you would allow it.” This was new. Usually Ben would be the one that had to go and ask for the dance. But here Rey was right in front of him, with her hand stretched out waiting. 

He couldn’t say no to that. 

Even if everyone was staring at him. “I must confess I’m not a frequent dancer,” 

“Nor am I,” She said, “I just copy everybody’s lead.” 

“Ah, sounds good.” Ben lead the dance, something that he never got to do. Most of the time he was just focused on trying not to step on this girl’s toes. She didn’t seem to mind though. Her eyes shifted between hazel to an intense red, making her gaze even more striking. 

“Do you want to get out of here?” She asked. 

“God, yes.” 

So they do. 

_

Clouds shrouded the moon tonight, but the air was crisp and clean , and Rey appreciated it.  Lights from inside the manor lit their way as the two of them walked alone. She could tell that the man behind her was nervous. He practically radiated a nervous energy that she didn’t think that he should have about him. Rey was about to open her mouth to say something when she turned around and really looked at him. 

_

“Are you okay?”  Ben was shaking a little. He didn’t expect that he would ever meet someone that he would have such a connection with – and he certainly didn’t think that he would have a connection with one of the most terrifying vampires of the twenty first centuries. “Rey, uh before anything else happens I need to tell you – I’m a werewolf. So, I get it if you don’t want to associate with me and want to go back inside.” 

“Ben,” Rey said, he risked a glance up at her as she slipped her mask off. “Do I look like I care that you’re a werewolf?” 

“No?” 

“Right, no. I don’t care that you’re a werewolf.” 

“So , you’re not scared,”  Ben’s mind flashed back to those three girls that had been murdered. 

“No,” Rey said again, “now, take that mask off and let’s get away from here. I don’t want to run across someone else throwing up in rose bushes.” He took Rey’s hand and let her pull him along. At some point he wondered if he should be concerned, if Rey was planning on doing to him what some werewolf had done to those girls. But his worries subsided when they got out into the street and he heard her giggle. 

“Usually after these sorts of things, I just go home and brood or read.” She told him. “Never been much for socializing.” 

“I’m not either, but I think you know that already.” They found a spot far enough away from the manor in a park, where the two of them found a bench near a lake and sat down together. Ben wasn’t sure how, but the two of them got to talking, and Rey  actually laughed when Ben would tell a joke. He didn’t usually get that. They talked for a while, about how lame the Ministry’s attempts to cover up tension between the two races were pathetic at best, and life. Ben usually didn’t tell people about himself – it was an area he didn’t like discussing, but he told her. 

“To be honest, life isn’t great.” 

“Oh?” 

“My family’s lost all of their money and my uncle’s missing so that’s great.”

“Your uncle’s missing? Have the police done anything about?” Ben snorted a little. 

“He’s a werewolf, Rey. They’re not going to do anything about it.” Rey made a face. She didn’t know how bad it was. How could she? “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.” 

“No, it’s fine. Really. But uh, I just wanted to say,” She looked up the hill, “my friends are looking for me. Anyways, do you have a phone? I know that some don’t - ” 

“I have a phone,” 

“Good.” She gave her number to him and said, “call me. If you ever need anything, or you don’t and you would just like some company, call me.” With that, she left.


	2. Chapter 2

“We were so worried when we saw that you were gone and then everyone did a headcount and one of the werewolves was missing to – Rey, what were you thinking?” Rose asked. She looked like she had been crying. “He could be dangerous -” 

“Rose,” Rey said patiently, she was used to letting Rose bitch her out when she did something impulsive. But she was not going to apologize for meeting a man that intrigued her. Ben was sweet, and not what she expected. He’s not what most vampires had told her that werewolves were like. 

He was also horribly awkward, and that made her like him even more. She hoped that he would call her. She would like to see him again, even if every time she did she would probably get bitched out by her friends about the dangers of dating a werewolf. 

Whatever. 

If Rose could date hot guys then Rey could date hot guys. 

“Rose, I think what Rey wants to say is that she’s been alive since before the first World War. She hasn’t died then and she’s  not going to die now, she can take care of herself.” That finally got her to shut up. Rey mouthed a thank you to Poe as they drove up to her own manor. 

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Rose. But I’m fine. Seriously.” With that she got out of the car and hoped that she wouldn’t have to interact with her friends for the rest of the week. She was starving, and she found herself going down to her basement and busting into one of the many bags of blood that she had brought from the dispensary. The sterile taste was laced with plastic and wasn’t nearly as exciting, but it felt good and made her feel warm for the time being. 

Something that was usually rare. 

Rey slept the next day away before she woke up to a text from an unknown number. 

** <587-555-4890>  **

_ Hey, I am so sorry to ask you this because we barely know each other but the generator in my apartment building broke and it’s so fucking cold today. I tried to get a hold of my  _ _ mother _ _ but I couldn’t. Is there any chance you would let me stay at your place?  _

_ This is Ben by the way, sorry I forgot to say that in my original text.  _

_ It’s okay if you say no.  _

Rey texted back. 

_ Fuck, I’m so sorry, I was asleep. Do you still need a place to stay?????? _

It didn’t take long for her to get a response back. 

_ It’s fine. Again, you don’t need to do anything.  _

Too late. She was already texting her valet. 

_ Tell me your address. My valet will get you. I currently cannot go out.  _

The sun was just barely starting to set, and usually Rey could handle  it but she tried not to make a habit going out in the light of day. It was more irritating than anything, she would get hungry a lot faster, feel an itch so deep under her skin that she couldn’t ever hope of reaching it. 

_ Are you sure that your valet will be fine with picking me up?  _

_ My valet is a witch, Ben. She has no ill will against any species. She’s too old for that.  _

_ Okay.  _

He told her his address and soon she has her valet drive the forty-five minutes it would take to get him. She also goes online and starts ordering things. Werewolves eat human food too, right? He might get hungry while he was here. She ordered things for sandwhiches, and some extra supplies in case he decided to stay the night. It would get to her door about five minutes before Ben was scheduled to arrive, apparently. 

She was way too excited for this. 

Way too excited. 

She paced around the grandiose living room, resenting the fact that it was big and made her feel so, so small. What if he saw  all of the things here and was intimidated? What if he didn’t want to get to know her like she wanted to get to know him? These were all questions that were making her start to panic. 

She tried her best to keep herself calm. 

She didn’t get nervous about stuff. 

That wasn’t a thing that Rey did. But fuck – she was lonely. Rey has been desperately alone for  all of her life and even though she was grateful that she had friends, and money, and all of this stuff that made her comfortable in life, no one ever  _ knew  _ her really. 

She felt like Ben was starting to  _ get to know  _ her though, and she really wanted to get to know him more too. The things that she had ordered got there and she put in all up in one of the fridges that she only used for her employees when they would come in or out and needed something to eat. 

Ben came next. He was dressed down a lot in just a grey sweater and some jeans, but fuck he looked good. Rey really wanted to ask him what his routine was with his hair. “Hey,” He said. He sounded breathless. 

“Come inside,” 

“I just wanted to say thank you for this-” 

“It’s no trouble, really.” Rey told him. He had a bag with him. Some clothes and his phone charger. He looked jumpy as he stared around at all of Rey’s stuff. Rey started to feel a little bit uncomfortable, realizing how utterly unprepared she still was to talk to this man that she really liked. 

“Wow,” 

“I know, it’s a bit much but-” 

“Are you sure that it’s okay for me to be here?” 

“Yeah, I invited you here.” She said. What did he mean, was it okay for him to be there?

“It’s just,” Ben said, “even when I did have money I didn’t - it wasn’t - plus I’m - ” 

Was he really that insecure? Rey just forrowed her eyebrows. “What are you saying?” 

“I’m just – we're in vampire county and you’re super rich and -” 

“If you continue that sentence by insulting yourself, I’m going to scream.” Rey said. “Besides, this place may be super ostentatious to you but it’s nice and warm here. Plus, I brought some food for you, so I don’t care about your class or the fact that you’re a werewolf. I told you that if you ever needed something to tell me, because I would provide it you. Here I am, providing for you. So please, stay here. I have Netflix and a sinful amount of empty rooms. You are free to do whatever you want or if you want me to show you around, I will show you around.” 

Ben nodded for a moment, still processing everything. “Thank you, for this. You barely even know me and this is super nice.” 

Rey managed a smile, “It really isn’t a problem.” 

“How can I pay you back?”

“Just keep me company,” She said. She doesn’t tell him how lonely she  actually is . She hoped that he already knew that, that he related. But she didn’t know. God, this must be weird. She shows him around and he asks if he can take a nap in one of the guest rooms. The warmest room in house. Rey says yes and leaves him to it. 

He wakes up and joins her at ten o’clock in the evening. Rey has a blanket over her and has started Coraline. She stopped and turned to him a little as the blanket fell from her shoulders. “I don’t know why I bother,” She sighed, “I’ll always be cold anyway.” 

It must sound a little sadder than she meant it to sound, because Ben gave her this look that she can’t get out of her head. “Do you need something?” She asked. 

“I uh – do you have anything to eat?” Rey’s up and leading him to the kitchen in record time. She makes him a grilled cheese and he looks so grateful and confused. She used three different types of cheese with it. “This is fucking amazing,” 

“Good,” Rey smiles, “I’m cold.” The lopsided grin she gets in return makes her wish that he could stay here forever. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's been 84 years... i'm sorry, no one's commenting on this so i got really demotivated as to updating it

Rey wasn’t used to having people to keep her company. Okay—correction. She was used to other vampires being in her house, but they were all super rich and extremely materialistic, and out of all of her years walking on this Earth, it was pretty easy to tell that rich people didn’t actually act like people. So, she was usually pretty lonely. It was weird, having Ben in the house. Not in a bad way, though. He was always really sweet, and sometimes she wished she was awake during the day more, that way she could spend more time with him. Rey orders more food for him, and some blood for herself, which she does _not _drink in front of him. Sometimes they talk while he’s eating and she wonders what human food tastes like again, but she remembers how awful it makes her stomach feel so she doesn’t try it.

She really wants that the two of them could stay together forever, but she’s not sure that Ben likes her all that much. For the four days that he’s there, she tries her best to just let him do his own thing, and leave him alone. At the end, Ben packed up and was going to leave. He thanked her for letting her stay and told her that the power at his apartment was up and running again. “Okay,” She had told him, “well if you need anything, please text me.” She told him. “Please,”

She’s not sure what the look he gives her means, but she decided not to push him anymore after that. “Thank you, really.”

_

Ben Solo was not used to kindness. Snoke had told him that vampires weren’t a kind species, and from what he knew of them so far, he was right. So, he wasn’t sure what to think of Rey. Not at all. At first, he thought it was a joke when she had given him her number. But it wasn’t. It was the right number. She let him into her home for several days, and then the power at his apartment came back on and he didn’t want to leave. “Text me if you need anything, please text me.” She told him, “Please.”

There was this ache in his heart when she said that, but he had to ignore it. He had to. Ben wasn’t very excited to go home. There wasn’t very much to go back to. Even when his parents were still there and had money, they didn’t have much. Now, his parents were missing and all he could manage was a studio apartment in the worst part of town, where you could only survive if you had five locks on your door.

He came back in with his bag, coming in to see Hux sitting on the stairs. “Where have you been for the past few days?” He asked him.

“Out with a friend.”

“Mmhm, right. You don’t have friends though.”

“Gee, thanks Hux. That was really useful commentary and not mean at all.” Hux shrugged and got up.

“Just saying, also Snoke is looking for you. I told him that you were out working,”

“Great.” Ben said.

“He didn’t believe it, but you know—I tried.”

“Thanks.” He said. He went up the stairs and to his floor, opening his room and putting his bag down before he looked at his phone. There was a text from Snoke waiting for him.

** _Snoke: _ ** _Meet me in 20. _

Charming.

Snoke had a way of annoying the everloving shit out of Ben and everyone else that he talked to, but he was also in charge of the pack in the area, so Ben had no other choice but to obey him. Even if he hated it.

Snoke was waiting for him in the reception area. He always liked to yell at people in public so that he could make it as humiliating as possible, Ben was pretty sure that he got off to making people miserable like that. “Where were you for the past four days?”

“I was out,” Ben said.

“Where?”

“Is that really of any concern to you, sir?” He asked. He wanted to delay the inevitable as much as possible. Of telling Snoke where he had really been. He knew that the man would get it out of him somehow though, and he hated that.

“You know that I’m concerned with all of my pack, boy. I want to make sure you weren’t going astray in anyway.”

“Right, rest assured I wasn’t.”

“Okay then, why are you so opposed as to telling me where you were for the past four days?” He had caught him there.

Here went nothing— “It was cold and I wanted a place to stay,”

“And who gave you a place to stay?”

“A woman, I met at one of the galas a week or two ago.”

“A woman,” Snoke repeated, his voice sounding dark. “And did this woman happen to be a vampire?” Ben didn’t say anything, he didn’t need to say anything for Snoke to strike him across the face. This time he didn’t bite his cheek, this time Snoke didn’t draw blood. This time. “You stupid boy, you know that vampires are not kind creatures.”

“Yes, sir—it’s just, she’s different—”

“Oh, does she act nice to you? Does she give you things that I cannot provide? Vampires read minds, boy. You know that. They manipulate people in ways that are beyond your simple mind. Besides, why would you be anything other than a joke to you? You’re not very smart, and you’re definitely not attractive, or funny, or talented. You’re just a follower of the pack,”

Ben closed his eyes, “Yes, sir. You’re right, sir.”

“Now, there, there. You know that I’m only providing you with the tough lessons that one must learn as they go out in this world. I’m trying to spare you the pain.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you understand where you went wrong?”

“Yes, sir.” He didn’t look him in the eyes. He couldn’t.

“Good. Now, go rest up before the full moon.” Ben turned around and started to leave when Snoke’s words stopped him dead in his tracks, “Oh and Ben, thank you for being a good boy.”

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to say, “Yes, sir.”

-

It had been a month and a half since Rey had last heard from Ben, and she was kind of disappointed. She didn’t want to be annoying, so she hadn’t tried to contact him before this, but she wanted to hear his voice again, so she called him. He picked up after the second ring, “Rey?”

  
“Don’t sound so shocked,” Rey said, “I uh—I wanted to call you.”

“Why?”

“Because I told you to text if you need anything, but I also was hoping that maybe you would—even if you didn’t need anything?” Her voice squeaked a little and she hated it. “And I kind of wanted to hear your voice again, but anyways, I’m rambling. Am I being annoying? If I’m being annoying you can just tell me to shut up and we don’t have to talk again bit—”

“—is this some sort of joke?”

“What?” The hollow laugh that came from Rey’s mouth was more of an awkward choke than anything else.

“Is this some sort of joke?” Ben repeated. “Because if it is I would just like you to tell me right now, so the both of us can move on with our lives.”

“Why would it be a joke?” Rey didn’t mean to sound so wounded, but she was. “Do you really think that low of me?”

“Fuck—fuck. No, no.” He was still muttering over the phone and Rey couldn’t hear everything he was saying, but he said, “It’s just something the leader of my pack said. Don’t worry about it. I don’t really think that low of you, it’s just—our species don’t get along.”

“I don’t care about any of that,” Rey said, “I just liked spending time with you when we spent time together.” He was silent for a minute. “Ben?”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I’m here.” She heard him trying to steady his breathing on the other end of the phone. “Sorry, I’m just really stressed out right now.”

“It’s okay.” She said. “Is there something I can do to help?”

“Uhm—my pack leader is out of the state right now so—can I come over? I wouldn’t want to impose but—”

“Of course,” Rey said, “I’ll call my valet and have her come get you.”

“Thanks.”

“See you soon.” Rey was more excited than she should be.

“See you soon, Rey.”


	4. Chapter 4

Ben was still nervous when he arrived at Rey’s. “Relax child,” Maz had told him. “She’s excited to see you too,”

“She’s excited to see me?”

“Of course she is.” The old woman sounded like it was ridiculous for him to ask such a question. _Was Rey really that excited to see him? _Something told him that was too good to be true, and yet part of him still held out hope for that. He walked up to the door with his one bag and knocked on it, just as the sun began to set.

Rey opened the door, covered in a long silk black robe. “Come in,” She said, “come in.” It was such a refreshing sight, to see Rey again. He could see that she was avoiding the light as much as possible, so he got inside as quickly as he could so she could shut the door behind her.

“You okay?” He asked as soon as he got through the door with his bag.

“Yeah,” She waved him up, “I’m fine. Just a little tired, don’t usually get up this early but—”

“You can go back to bed if I’m bothering you,” She had this look on her face, as if to say, _‘Really?’. _And folded her arms over her chest.

“No, I’m not going to do that, then what kind of hostess would I be?” She said. “Let me show you to a room that I had ready for you,” He nodded, trying his best not to shake. He wondered if she could sense it, how nervous he was to be here. He seemed to get his answer when Rey’s cool fingers grazed against his free hand, and then grabbed it gently as she led him along. There was something soothing about that. “Honestly, I may have went overboard getting ready for you, but here—” She opened the door and Ben stepped into a guest room that was bigger than the bedroom in his own apartment.

The lights were dimmed, and candles were lit. The bed was bigger than anything he had ever seen before, and there were lots of extra blankets folded up by the side of the bed. “I moved some books in here if you needed something to read—you obviously don’t have to though, but do what you will. Anyways, yeah. I had one of my friends come over and make sure this place has wifi, so you can use your phone or whatever device you want.” Ben set his bag down and looked around the room.

“You didn’t have to do all of this,”

“But I wanted to,” Rey’s voice cracked a little and Ben looked back at her, realizing that maybe she was just as nervous as he was. He offered her a slight smile, and she offered one back. “I just want to make sure that you have everything while you’re here.”

“You’re so sweet,” He wasn’t sure that vampires could blush until now, and it was the cutest thing that he had ever seen.

“Are you hungry?”

“Uh—yes actually.”

“I kind of brought a lot of food, and a bigger fridge, so I don’t know how to cook—”

“I do,”

“Good,” She said, “I didn’t know what you liked so I just brought a little bit of everything and hoped for the best.” She started rattling off all the things she ordered and how she hoped that it was enough—when Ben assured her it was more than enough, he made himself a couple of sandwiches and she watched him eat for a little bit before she spoke again. “So do you have any idea how long you’re planning on staying this time?”

“Uh—I don’t know—how long is okay with you?”

“Honestly, I would be fine if you stayed forever. But however long you want to stay is fine with me, I just have to tell you that my _friend,” _She put friend in air quotes, “Rose is going to be visiting tomorrow night, and she doesn’t like werewolves—but if you stay in your room it should be fine.” He bit his lip.

“You’re not going to get in trouble for having me here, right?”

“Ben,”

“Yes,”

“I’m a billionaire, and one of the richest vampires in the nation, I can do whatever I want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” She told him. “I promise you that you will be safe here, for as long as you want to stay. And if someone finds you out, I will take care of them.” Her voice was stone cold when she said that, and every part of Ben believed her.

“Okay, is a week okay?”

“A week is wonderful,” She said. “And just know that my doors are open to you at any and all times. Even if I’m asleep—I can give you Maz’s number and you can come over here if you need to get away. No one will hurt you here.” Ben was silent for a while and Rey started talking, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” He said, “it all just seems too good to be true.” She gave him this look that he didn’t know how to describe. But her words echoed in his head, _I’m lonely. _He could see it when he looked at her. How something in her was begging for him to stay so that he had someone to talk to, she was trying to give him some space, but he could tell—because he felt that too all of the time.

It was so hard to just restrain himself then and not fall for her. So hard to ignore his feelings. He was always too trusting, always let people who showed him one ounce of affection walk over him later. “Ben?”

“Yeah,”

“I really like you,” She said, “just let me take care of you. Please,”

He could tell that she meant it. There was all of this affection that she had been waiting to give someone, and yet no one for her to give it to. “Okay,” He said, “I will.”


	5. Chapter 5

Ben was well fed and comfortable. He didn’t think he been this happy in a while. Rey was still shy when he was there, mostly just watching him from afar or reading a book. Finally he took the initiative to ask her, “Hey, do you want to watch something with me?” Her eyes were wide and it was weird to him, just how shy she was despite being so rich and so beautiful.

“Sure,” She said.

“Is there anything that you want to watch?”

“I’m not much of a TV person,” Rey shrugged, “so I don’t have a preference.” 

“Okay,” He said. She sat down on the couch, far enough away from him that the two of them wouldn’t be touching. Ben thought for a minute as he looked through the vast choices of things to watch, and he started feeling indecisive. “How about a movie?” He asked.

“Okay.”

They ended up going through some classics, both of them there for hours until the sun started to rise. Ben was tired and so was she. “I’m going to have to go into my room, you’re free to stay up or get some sleep as well.”

“I think I’m going to be sleeping as well,” He told her, “I’m tired.”

“Okay,” She said.

Before she could go, Ben asked, “Hey, is there any reason you’re being so shy around me?” Ben wasn’t sure that vampires could blush. It was a lot more understated than the way it would look on him. The pink rising to her cheeks just a little bit.

“Uh—I’ve never been great at talking, I just didn’t want to annoy you.” She said.

“Well I don’t think that that’s possible,” He told her. “You’re pretty sweet and I like being around you. So, yeah. You don’t have to worry about annoying me at all. Okay?”

She nodded, “Okay. Uh—thank you. I’m going to go to bed now,”

__

_When Rey was a human, she would be outside in the sun for hours, sometimes she would read or draw and she would appreciate nature. When she was a human, she appreciated life a lot more than she did when she became a vampire. After that, she was resigned to the night and her house, and there was a bloodlust. _

_She would hunger for blood, and felt like she could never get satiated. _

_And then she got older. And the one thing she craved for was companionship. But she could never manage to find someone that wasn’t using her for her money._

__

Ben wished that he could stay at Rey’s forever. But that’s not how this worked. Hux texted Ben and told him that Snoke had just landed in the airport, and he had about three hours to get back home. Ben sighed, knowing that he didn’t want to go back, that if he did he would be facing some awful things, but he did anyways. Rey made sure that he ate before he left and told him that he could come over any time they wanted to.

This time, the both of them hugged. The two of them smiled at each other and then Ben left, already wanting to be back with her. He told himself that he would be back soon though.

__

Rey missed Ben. She wished that she could see him, but she knew that she had to wait. She could wait. It would be tolerable. During that time, she threw another party, let Rose and the others come over and tried her best to have a life while he was away.

Meanwhile, the two of them texted every once and a while. It was touch and go, especially when the full moon passed. It was only then that Ben’s leader was out of the state again, and he asked if it was okay to come over. Rey couldn’t wait to see him.

She didn’t know if she was being too eager, wanting to see him again, but Maz told her that she was glad to see her so happy. “Is it that noticeable?”

“I haven’t seen you smile in about twenty years, and then you met this boy. Seems that he does you good.” Rey blushed and Maz told her that she would be back with Ben. Rey hated waiting, but she did and it paid off. Ben came in with his bag and he seemed to physically relax when he saw her.

“Hey,” She said. This time she hugged him first.

“How are you?”

“Better now,” He said, “You?”

“Good.” She told him. “I’m really good. I missed you,”

“I missed you too,” His eyes were so intense, and Rey loved it. She found herself memorizing every detail about Ben. And there were a lot of details about Ben to memorize. It was great.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes,”

“I got new food,”

“I’ll eat later,” He said. He placed his bag down, and hugged her again.

“Are you okay?” Rey held him.

“I uh—a lot of stuff that happened and I just missed you,”

“You want to talk about it?” He broke off from her and shook his head, not looking her in the eye.

“Not yet. Maybe someday, but not yet.” Rey nodded and the two of them started talking about other things. Books, things that Rey did, television. Rey got to see Ben smile again, and her heart melted when she saw him do that. And then he said that, “Sometimes I wish that I was a human,” He said. Rey looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Yeah? Any reason why?”

“I just—” He took a bite of his sandwich, “—it would be so much easier to leave that way. So much easier to get away from my pack. Without them though, I will die.”

“How are you so sure about that?”

“I just am,”

Rey was silent for a minute before speaking, “there has to be another pack around here. Right?”

“No,” He said, “with all of the werewolves going missing, we’re one of the last and it’s just—so tiring. How strict everything is. I hate it so much,”

“I can’t imagine what that’s like,” Rey said. “But I know where you’re coming from, about the human thing. I’ve wanted that for a long time. Wishing that I could go back to when I was a human. A lot of the time I didn’t really have a purpose, sometimes I feel like I still don’t. But you have to count your blessings, or you will go insane from all of the negativity.”

“I guess you’re right about that,” He took another bite of his sandwich, and then glanced up at her, “I know one blessing that I have, for sure.”

“And what’s that?”

“You,”


	6. Chapter 6

Ben had to leave sooner than he thought he would, and Rey wished that he didn’t be she let him go. The last thing that she would want would be for him to get in trouble. The next time Rey and Ben saw each other, Ben was sopping wet from head to toe and hadn’t told her ahead of time that he needed to come over. Rey had company and it was night. “Ben?” She hissed, stepping out onto the balcony as the party chattered on inside.

“I’m sorry,” He said, “I didn’t know where to go—I—I can leave.”

“No, no.” Rey grabbed his arm. “Don’t.” She said. “God, you’re so cold that I can feel it.” She could hear his heart beating in chest, _smell _every bit of him. She guessed that she was hungrier than she thought she was.

“I—I can go,” He repeated.

“No, you’re going in through the back.”

“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” He told her. He was shaking like a leaf and she couldn’t leave him out in the cold like this.

“Come on,” She said, “in through the back.” She guessed she must’ve pulled him a little too hard because he winced. “Sorry, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” He whispered. She could tell that he was nervous, his heart was beating faster than a caged hummingbird. She led him through the back, past the hum of the party and into one of the rooms as far away from everything as possible. There, she closed the door.

“There’s a shower through there.” She told him. “And I’ll have to wait on getting you clothes, I’m sorry. But you can get under the covers.” He nodded and she stared into his eyes and he just looked so sad. Rey hated it. She hated it so much. “Can I do something to help?”

“You’ve helped enough.” He said. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“Okay,” She said. “Okay.” Rey returned to her party. Wishing that everyone was gone.

__

Ben was still cold when the party was over and Rey was back in his room with some pajamas. She let him change before coming back in the room. “I don’t want to talk about it,” He told her. And that was true, he didn’t want to talk about the punishments that Snoke had for the werewolves that acted out. What he made Ben do to others sometimes. He hated it.

Rey blinked and sat down at the edge of the bed, watching him shiver. “Okay. You want a heating pad?” He nodded and she brought him one and then left again. He didn’t see her again until he felt like he was way too hot and might be getting sick.

“Do you need anything else?” She asked him. She could tell that he wanted something, but he wasn’t saying it.

“I think I’m good.” She stayed by his bedside for a second.

“Are you sure that you don’t need anything?”

“I don’t want to be a bother,” He tells her, and the little pathetic whimper that comes from him makes her heart break.

“You’re never a bother, Ben. We’ve been over this before, what do you want?” There was a long bout of silence between the two of them. Rey was used to silence, used to waiting, but she found that this was killing her a bit.

“Can you stay?” He asked her.

“Are you sure that you want that?” Rey asked. “I’m not exactly warm.”

“I’m too hot right now,” He tells her, “and I just—I need—” He says the words _I need _and he doesn’t need to finish his thought, because Rey has come back in a robe and slipped into bed next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his head in her shoulder. He could feel her cool skin, even through the robe.

It was heavenly.

Ben let out a little sob that he had meant to keep in. His cheeks flamed, and he expected Rey to feel awkward after that but she just soothed him, telling him that everything was going to be okay, and that he was going to be okay. Ben told himself that she was right, and something about that was comforting. Comforting enough for him to fall asleep after that.

When he woke up, Rey wasn’t there. For a second he was concerned, but there was a little note left on the side table that Ben read.

_I’m so sorry that I had to leave, but I didn’t want to wake you up. I had to go to sleep and vampires can’t sleep in rooms with any source of light. There is food in the kitchen and I made sure that there was no one left in the house at all so you have free reign of everything. _

He was feeling a lot better than he had been feeling before, so he got up, walked downstairs and made himself food. He wondered the whole time how Rey could live in a place so big and so quiet. It would drive him insane. Everything was perfect and in its place and besides his things, it looked like nobody even lived here.

How was that even possible?

She had to be lonely like this, right? Right? He had so many questions for her. All of them swirling together in his head as he grazed through some food in her refrigerator. There wasn’t much, but he also showed up impromptu, so he didn’t expect there to be.

He understood.

__

When Rey woke up and came to the living room, Ben was reading a book and the lamplight glowed a golden color on his face that looked impossibly beautiful. Rey remembered just how grateful she was that he was here at this moment. “Hey,” She said.

“Hey,” He glanced up and smiled up at her, “sleep well?”

“Slept as well as I could,” She shrugged, “I trust that you slept better.”

“I did. Thanks to you,” He smiled shyly.

“Good.” She told him. “That’s good.” She sat down across from him, “So what happened?”


End file.
